Clasp envelope



Nov. 28, 1967 L. LouKoPouLos 3,355,091

CLASP ENVELOPE Filed Oct. 21, 1966 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H: 3 /VVf/VTF Ig. A L OUAS LOVOPQULOS Nov. 28, 1967 L. LouKoPouLos 3,355,091

` CLASP ENVELOPE I Filed oct. 21, 1966 2 sheets-sheet 2 :F 5 l our/4s LouKaPauLo.;

Ig MMM/W #Trop/VFY United States Patent O 3,355,091 CLASP ENVELOPE Loukas Loukopoulos, 11060 E. McNichols, Detroit, Mich. 48234 Filed Oct. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 588,455 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-78) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An envelope body with closure flap with one or more pairs of spaced perforations in the ap, and a plurality of spaced pairs of fastening clasps whose free bendable ends may be selectively inserted respectively within at least one of said pairs of perforations to secure the flap in place.

This invention relates to improvements regarding the sealing of envelopes such as the manila envelopes with clasp for United States mail, intracompany and intercompany mail and the like.

It is lan object of this invention to provide a sealing combination for such envelopes which will provide more strength as well as more flexibility of envelope sealing positions. By offering more than one sealing position `in any one envelope size, variations of volume in the contents of any one envelope size can be compensated for without resorting to the use of an envelope of the next largest size. Another object of this invention is to provide a exibility of use of the clasp-type envelope to intracompany and intercompany mail, where any one envelope may be used for as many as sixty times, in the case of a clasp of multiplicity three, instead of the now useful life of twenty times for such a clasp of multiplicity one.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flapsealing concept whereby each lip of the clasp will pass through its own punched hole, which for this discussion will be taken to be a rectangular hole, the axis of the rectangle being parallel to the axis of the envelopes length.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide more than one set or doublet of these rectangular holes on the flap of any one envelope.

It is another object of this invention to postulate the use of a multiple clasp instead of the commonly used single clasp on each envelope, The multiple clasp will offer more sealing combinations, more sealing strength and will extend the opening-closing cycle of any one envelope by a factor of n, where n shall equal the multiplicity or the number of single clasps in an n-clasp array.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as this description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a top plan view of the upper portion of the open envelope and flap; the rectangular punched holes; the hole support backing strip and the single clasp in its passive position.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a top plan view of the closed envelope, where the flap has been engaged in one of its three possible closed positions by the single clasp.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a top plan view of the closed envelope, where the ap has lbeen engaged in another of its three possible closed positions by the single clasp.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a top plan view of the upper portion of the open envelope and flap; the generalized form of the geometry of the punched rectangular holes; the hole support backing strip and the multiple clasp in its passive position.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a top plan view of the closed envelope in one of its general cases, where the flap has been engaged by two of the multiple clasps.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view with one of two pairs of 3,355,091 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 ICC clasps selectively inserted through a single flap aperture.

As illustrated in FIG. l, the envelope flap 1 has vbeen perforated by rectangular punched holes 4 appearing inside the area 3. Area 3 is called the hole support backing strip, and it is adhered to the inside surface of the flap 1 before the perforations are to be made. Area 3 may be any type of reinforced backing. If the flap has sufficient tear strength properties or if the lips of the clasp have been bevelled in order to discourage tearing, then the backing for the reinforcement of the perforations 4 may not be necessary. For the present, however, tapes such as Scotch Brand Filament Tape, with the filaments running perpendicular to the tearing force vector, is eminently well suited for application as a hole support backing strip.

Still referring to FIG. l, the area 2 represents the gummed area of the envelope, while the butterfly version of the single clasp is denoted by 5.

Referring to FIG. 2, the flap 1 has been folded along the line 7 of FIG. 1, and said flap has been engaged by clasp 5 in one of the positions allowed by perforations 4. Referring to FIG. 3, the ap 1 has been folded along the dotted line 8 of FIG. 1, and said flap has been engaged by clasp 5 in another of the positions allowed by perforations 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, the general case of the ap 1; the gummed area 2; the hole support backing strip 3 and the geometry of the perforations 4 and the postulation of the multiple clasp 6 are shown in detail.

Referring to FIG. 5, the flap 1 has been folded along some arbitrary line parallel to line 7 of FIG. l, and two of the clasps of the multiple clasp 6 have 4been engaged in the perforations 4 in order to -convey the added strength potential of the multiple clasp and the perforations.

While I have described fa specic form of the embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications such as using the multiple clasp idea with the present version of such envelopes using a single hole, geometric rotations of the axes of the clasp or of thhe perforation areas, the geometry of the perforations themselves, the geometry of the clasp to be used to t into the perforation-s, and the n-ature of the backing strip which may be made therein do not depart from the spirit of the invention or thhe scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the following claims. I claim:

1. In an envelope comprising an envelope body having an open edge and a foldable closure flap for closing said edge, and a fastening clasp centrally secured to Isaid body adjacent said edge and having a pair of free deformable clasp end portions;

the improvement comprising a pair of spaced apart perforations formed in the flap, each arranged to register with and receive one of the clasp end portions for thereafter bending the clasp end portion into the plane of the flap to secure the flap in closed position;

and a second deformable clasp identical to said first mentioned clasp, fastened upon said body adjacent to but spaced from said iirst clasp, there being at least one additional pair of spaced apart perforations formed in said flap and spaced from said first mentioned pair of perforations;

said clasps both being insertable within and interlocked with said pairs of perforations respectively, the perforations of one pair of perforations being closer together than the spacing between the perforations of the second pair of perforations, and both pairs of perforations being centrally aligned relative to each other.

2. In an envelope comprising an envelope body having an open edge and a foldable closure flap for closing said edge, and Ia fastening clasp centrally secured to said body adjacent said edge and having a pair of free deformable clasp end portions;

the improvement comprising a pair of spaced apart perforations formed in the ap, each arranged to register with and receive one of the clasp end portions for thereafter bending the clasp end portion into the plane of the ap to secure the flap in closed position;

and a second deformable clasp identica-1 to said rst mentioned clasp, fastened upon said body adjacent to but spaced from said rst clasp;

said clasps being selectively insertable respectively within said pair of perforations.

3. In the envelope of claim 2, including at least one `additional pair of spaced apart perforations formed in said ap and spaced from said rst mentioned pair of perforations;

said clasps both being insertable within and interlocked with said pairs of perforations respectively.

4. In an envelope comprising an envelope body hav ing an open edge and a foldable closure flap for closing 4.- said edge, and a fastening clasp centrally secured to said body adjacent said edge and having a pair of free deformable clasp end portions;

the improvement including a pair of longitudinally spaced clasps secured on said body; said flap having a single perforation therethrough, adapted to interlockingly receive selectively one of said pairs of clasps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,104 5/ 1902 Trenchard 229-78 1,149,657 8/1915 Loft 229-78 1,935,135 11/1933 Swift 229-78 2,329,444 9/ 1943 Snyder 229-78 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primaly Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner. 

1. IN AN ENVELOPE COMPRISING AN ENVELOPE BODY HAVING AN OPEN EDGE AND A FOLDABLE CLOSURE FLAP FOR CLOSING SAID EDGE, AND A FASTENING CLASP CENTRALLY SECURED TO SAID BODY ADJACENT SAID EDGE AND HAVING A PAIR OF FREE DEFORMABLE CLASP END PORTIONS; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED APART PERFORATIONS FORMED IN THE FLAP, EACH ARRANGED TO REGISTER WITH AND RECEIVE ONE OF THE CLASP END PORTIONS FOR THEREAFTER BENDING THE CLASP END PORTION INTO THE PLANE OF THE FLAP TO SECURE THE FLAP IN CLOSEED POSITION; AND A SECOND DEFORMABLE CLASP IDENTICAL TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED CLASP, FASTENED UPON SAID BODY ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM SAID FIRST CLASP, THERE BEING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL PAIR OF SPACED APART PERFORATIONS FORMED IN SAID FLAP AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED PAIR OF PERFORATIONS; SAID CLASPS BOTH BEING INSERTABLE WITHIN AND INTERLOCKED WITH SAID PAIRS OF PERFORATIONS RESPECTIVELY, THE PERFORATIONS OF ONE PAIR OF PERFORATIONS BEING CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN THE PERFORATIONS OF THE SECOND PAIR OF PERFORATIONS, AND BOTH PAIRS OF PERFORATIONS BEING CENTRALLY ALIGNED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER. 